Hydraulic lift for scraper blades



May 16, 1933 I DEAN v 1,909,854

' HYDRAULIC LIFT FOR SCRAPER BLADES Filed N v, 26, 1928 ZSheets-Sheet 1 T1090): Georg. iubmm ZXTKOYmL May 16, I933. DEAN 1,999,854

HYDRAULIC LIFT FOR SCRAPER BLADES Filed Nov. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ome. a

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT; Q F E eEORGE E. DEAN, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, assreivon T0, omnnns e. wmm'rrr;

1 1 v or GRAND narrns, M CHIGAN. a

nYnRAULrc LIFT FOR scnnrnn B AD S} Application filed November 2c, 192s. serial norseifeeaf This inventionrelates to a hydraulically operated mechanism used in conjunction with a scraper blade mounted for rocking movements, for forcing the blade into contact with a road surface which it is to grade or scrape, the blade being normally lifted to an upper position when the hydraulic force is removed. The scraper blades are mounted upon vehicles such as motor trucks, to pass over the road and the present invention is directed to a very efficient and practical hydraulic means for bringing the blade against the road surface with any desired degree of pressure.

The invention for the attainment of these ends, as well as many others not at this time specifically described, may be understood from the following description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings, in which, 7 Fig. l is a side elevation of a motor truck having the scraper blade and the new operating mechanism therefor mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation and partial vertical section of the operative hydraulic mechanism used in conjunction with the scraper blade. Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryenlarged rear eleva'tion of the scraper lade and the actuating mechanism therefor.

Fig. i is anfend elevation of the blade and the manner in which it is detachably mounted, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevation and vertical section illustrating the details of structure used in attaching the spring supports for the blade to the rocking shaft.

Like reference characters refer to likeparts in the different figures of the drawings.

The motor truck is of any conventional form and to the side chassis frame members 1 thereof adjustable vertical suspending brackets 2 are secured in pairs between which horizontal bars 3 are-mounted for the adjustable connection. of a supporting beam 4, preferably of channel iron, which may bQ-IIIOLUltQCl on the bars 3 for adjustment to different angular positions with respect to the length of the road or thebeam 4 and the scraper blade carried theteby may be reversed so as to scrape the side of the road on going inoppo' site diIQCtlOIlSyOI opposite sides of the-road when going in the-samedirection. Thisinanner of mounting the supporting beam 4' is old and forms no part of the present invention.

From the lower side of the beam 4; at Spaced apartintervals brackets 5 extend downwardly, shaped at their lower ends with concave recesses and with outstanding horizontal ears for the reception of the scraper blade rock shaft 6 which is held inplace by clamps 7 (see F ig. 4) recessed to receive the lower sides of the shaft 6 and having outstanding ears lying against the ears of the. bracketsS. Bolts passed through the contiguous ears secure the 65 shaft in place, and by removing said bolts the shaft may be removed. The scraper blade 8 is a'blade of flat metal, extends parallel to the shaft '6 and is mounted thereon by means of coiled spring mem bers each formed of a spring rod" bent at its middle intoa U-shaped arm 9 to lieagainst and be bolted to the rear side of'the blade 8, both legs of the U being coiled into spring coils 10. The coils 10 are located around sleeve parts 11, there being two'of the same within each coil 10. The two'sleeve parts 11 come against opposite sides of the sha'ft' ifi and one of said parts at one end, indicated at 12, Fig. .5, has outwardly projecting ears 80 12a. lhe oppositely disposed sleeve part 11 is formed intoa head, as indicated at 13, which at its outer side, has a notch 13min whichthe laterally extending end 100 of a coil 10 'is seated. A U-shaped bolt clamp .14 85 fits in a groove in the head 13 and clamps against the end 1 0a or the spring coil seated in the notch 13a, the ends of the clamp passing through the ears 12a and being threaded to receive nuts as shownin-Fig. 5. Av set screw 15 passes through the end 12a of the sleevepart 11 against shaft. 6. t

With thisconstruction the ends of the coils 10 are rigidly secured to the rock shaftfi and when the shaft is rockedinohe direction, that is, a clockwise direction, the blade is lifted to upper inoperative position. 1 But on rocking the shaft in the oppositedirection the blade is brought against the road 100 surface and held thereagainst by yielding spring pressure. 7

On the upper side of the beam 4 a supporting plate 16 is permanently secured transversely of the beam. At the front portion of said plate a vertical hydraulic cylinder 17 is mounted, back of which are a plurality of heavy coiled springs 18 located around vertical guide posts 19 extending from the base plate 16 as shown.- There are four of the springs 18 but the number used is not an essential feature of the present invention. The upper .end of the piston 17 is closed by a head through. which a piston rod 20 slidably extends at the upper end of which is a cross head 21. Links 22 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the ends of the cross head, extend downwardly alongside of cylinder 17 and have pivotal connection at their lower ends to the front ends of thelegs 23 of a U'-shaped rocking member, said legs being pivotally mounted at the upper ends of supporting posts 24 connected to and extending upwardly from the base plate 16. The rear ends of the legs 23 are connected by a cross bar 25 forming a part of the U-shaped rocking member which, at its middle, is formed into a U-shaped stirrup 26. A bar 27 is pivotally connected between its ends to and lies between the sides of the stirrup 26. The bar 27 extends below the pivot toward and back of the rock shaft 6 and has a pivotal connection to an arm 28. suitably attached to the rock shaft. The bar, 27 above said pivot extends upwardly and is then curved forwardly and downwardly as shown in Fig. 2 to come against a plate 29 which is slidably mounted on the posts 19 and bears against the upper .ends of all of the springs 18.

The piston 17 hasan inlet at its lower end to which a flexible hose connection 30 leads, the same. extendinginto or toward the cab of the truck. The piston 17 has a vent 31 at its upper end and a pet cock drain 32 a short distance above the lower end of the cylinder, whereby should there be any leakage of'the liquid used to operate the piston within the I cylinder it may be drained from above the piston when the piston is in its lowermost position. A horizontal pump cylinder 33 is secured I to the dash or other suitable support at the front of the cab, having a piston therein and a piston rod 34 extending from its rear end connection to an operating handle 35, which may be rocked back and forth on the mountings shown in Fig. 2, to reciprocate the piston. A .pipe'36 extends into a liquid holding receptacle 37 going therefrom to a side of the cylinder 33, there being a suitable valve 38 adapted to open automatically when the pump is operated in one direction so as to draw liquid into the cylinder and close automatically when the pump piston is moved in 7 the opposite direction to force the liquid from 33. A valve 40 manually operable is interposed in the pipe 39 between the receptacle 27 and the hose 30 and a gauge 42 to indicate pressure is connected with the pipe 36 between said valve 40 and the hose 30.

Upon operating the lever 35, valve 40 being closed, liquid is pumped into the lower end of the cylinder 17, lifting the piston rod 20 and turning the scraper blade 8 to operative contact with the road surface. At the same time the springs 18 are compressed due to the downward movement of plate 29. The gauge at 42 will indicate the pressure which is being exerted by the blade on the road surface and this pressure may be made greater or'less in accordance with the extent of operation of the pump. When it is desired to lift the scraper'blade all that is required is to open the valve 40 whereupon the sprin s 18 will move plate 29 upwardly, lift t e scraper blade 8 and move the piston Within cylinder 17 downward forcing the oil into the receptacle 37 from which it may be drawn when the blade is, at a later time, to be turned to its operative position.

The only manual operations that are necessary with this construction is the operation of the pump lever 35 and the opening and closing of the valve at 40 when required. The construction is very practical and effective. It has proved practical in service and economical to build. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

While this device has been shown and described as being located under the body of a truck between its wheels for the customary road scraping operation it is readily adaptable to be located at other positions on the vehicle which carries it, such for example as forward of the vehicle on extended brackets for snow scraping. The flexibility of the hose 30 readily permits the change of positions as may be desired.

I claim:

1. In a construction of the class described, a horizontally positioned supporting beam,

a base plate thereon, a rock shaft mounted on connecting the piston rod with said rocking member at one end thereof, a link connecting the opposite end of the rocking member with said rock shaft to turn the rock shaft in a direction to lower the scraper blade on upward movement of said piston rod, coiled compression spring means carried on and above the base plate at one side of said cylinder, a plate bearing against the upper end of said spring means, and means connecting the last mentioned end of said rocking member with said last mentioned plate to move the same downwardly and compress the spring means when the piston rod is moved in an upward direction.

2. In a construction of the class described, a supporting beam, a rock shaft mounted on said beam, a prime mover also mounted upon said beam, a rocking member pivotally mounted on said beam, means connecting the rocking member at one of its ends to the said prime mover, a link connecting the opposite end of the rocking member to the said rock shaft to turn the same in a direction to lower the scraper blade or raise the scraper blade, and spring means for eounterbalancing the scraper blade, said spring means including a plurality of vertically located springs mounted upon the said beam and a plate bearing downwardly against the top of the said springs, said link means extending in abutting relationship to the said plate whereby its downward movement causes compression of the said springs.

3. In combination, a beam of the class described, brackets fixed to said beam, a rock shaft revolubly mounted in said brackets, a scraper blade attached to said rock shaft, an arm extending from said rock shaft, a link 40 pivotally connected to the said arm and ex tending past the said beam and then being return bent to terminate in abutting relationship to the other side of the said beam, and spring means located between the return bent end of the link and the beam to serve as a counterbalance.

4. In combination, a beam, a supporting plate thereon, a cylinder mounted upon said supporting plate, a piston operative in said cylinder, a scraper blade pivotally mounted onto the said beam, and linkage means connected'between the said piston and the said. scraper blade to operate the said scraper blade, said linkage including a member which moves toward the beam whenever the scraper blade is moved to an operative position, and spring means inserted between the beam and the said member for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. GEORGE E. DEAN. 

